Bridge.



PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906..

G. H. GHHAVEY'.

BRIDGE.

urucuron FILED IAB..10.1906.

.usnmanu, n. c.

UNITED STATES GEORGEH. CHAVEY, OF WINOOSKI, VERMONT.

BRIDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed March 10,1906. serial No. 305,374.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE I-I. OHAVEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Winooski, in the county of Chittenden and State of Vermont,have invented new and useful Improvements in Bridges, of which. thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to bridges, and the object in view is to providea bridge especially designed to be interposed between buildings oradjacent parts of buildings, the said bridge being constructed and.mounted or supported in such manner and provided with holding means ofsuch character that when a fire breaks out in one building or the otheror any one portion or another of the same building the said bridge willautomatically be thrown out of position to cut off communication betweensuch buildings or portions of the same building, thereby preventing thespreading of the fire.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will morefully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1. is

' a side'elevation of a bridge embodying the present invention. Fig. 2is a sectional plan view thereof, showing the locking device. Fig. 3 isa cross-section through Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section throughthe upper portion of the bridge, showing a portion of the lockingdevice.

In constructing the bridge contemplated in this invention a suitablefoundation 1 is provided having a narrow top, as shown in Fig. 3, whichis of sufficient width. to form a seat for the supporting-base 2 of thebridge, the said supporting-base extending longitudinally beneath thecenter of the bridge and being shown in the form of an ordinary I-beam,which need be only several inches in width.

Extending upward from the supportingbase 2 are posts 3 and also obliquebraces 4,

the said posts and braces supporting the floor-timbers 5, extendingtransversely of the bridge structure and having the floor or walkway 6mounted thereon.

The bridge structure also comprises the uprights 7, connected at the topby longitudinal stringers 8 and cross-beams 9, which may eitherconstitute the floor-supporting beams of a second story or the raftersupon which a suitable roof 10 is mounted, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Thewhole bridge structure thus far described, as well as the major portionof the mechanism to be hereinafter described, is supported solely by thenarrow central longitudinal supporting beam 2, which rests on thefoundation 1, which may be composed of one or more pedestals of masonry,as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The means for supporting the bridge in position embodies a lockingdevice, which may be of various forms, that shown embodying acentrally-arranged latch-lever 11, fulcrumed centrally at 12 on thesuperstructure of the bridge and having connected to the opposite armsthereof latch-bars 13, which extend in opposite directions from thelever 11 to points beyond the opposite ends of the bridge, theextremities of the latch-bars being received in suitable keepersconnected with the adjoining buildings or portions of the same building.Said latch-bars may, as shown in Fig. 4, work in guide-sockets 14,formed in the beams or rafters 9 at suitable points.

In order to tllOW the latch-bars out of engagement with the sockets 14,resort is had to a weight 15, from which extends a rope or cable 16,passing over a guiding-sheave 17 and connected to the projecting end ofthe latch-lever at the point 18. In order to provide for holding thelatch-bars in engagement with the sockets 14, other weights 19 and 20are employed, the weight 19 being connected to a rope or cable 21, whichextends over a sheave 22 and thence outward from the building, where itconnects to the lever 11 at the point 27. The other weight 20 isconnected to one end of a rope or cable 24, which extends over a sheave25 and thence outward from the building lengthwise of the bridge, whereit passes over another sheave 26 and thence back to the lever 11, beingat tached thereto at the point 23. The combined weights 19 and 20 are inexcess of the weight 15, so that said weights 19 and 20 hold thelatch-bars in engagement to retain the bridge in position.

The ropes or cables to which the weights 19 and 20 are attached enterthe opposite buildings or the opposite portions of the same building andmay be extended to any portion of the building where such rope or cablewill be subjected to the action of a fire,

IIO

the same side of the bridge, as shown in Fig. 2-.

' Instead of extending the ropes or cables 21 and 24 well into thebuildings connected by the bridge fuses 28 may connect with said ropesor cables, and the fuses may be extended throughout the building, sothat when either one of the fuses takes fire the flame is carried alongrapidly by the fuse until it reaches and ignites one of the ropes orcables 21 and 2 with the-same result as that just previously described.

It will of course be understood that the locking device hereinabovedescribed is susceptible'of considerable variation, also the location ofthe' weights which control the locking device. These and other changesin the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

I claim 1. A bridge having a narrow supportingbase, in combination withlocking means for holding said bridge in place, and a fusible device forreleasing the locking means.

2. A bridge embodying a narrow supporting-base extending lengthwise ofthe bottom thereof, a locking device for holding the upper portion ofthe bridge in position, and a fusible connection for releasing saidlocking device.

3. A bridge embodying a narrow supporting-base extending lengthwisethereof, said bridge having its center of gravity located to one side ofthe center of the supporting-base, a locking device for holding thebridge in place, and fusible means for releasing said locking device.

4. A bridge having a central longitudinal supporting-base and having thecenter of gravity thereof'located to one side of the center of saidsupporting-base, in combination with a locking device for holding thebridge in position, weights connected with the looking device by ropesor cables, and fusible means whereby one of the ropes or cables issevered by contact with fire, substantially-as described.

5. A bridge having a narrow central supporting-base and having itscenter of gravity located to one side of said supporting-base, incombination with bridge-locking mechanism for holding the bridge inplace, said mechanism embodying a lever, means associated therewith forengaging a permanent part of an adjoining structure, ropes or cablesleading from said lever to the adjoining structure or structures andprovided with a weight or weights, and a lever throwing weight connectedto said lever and adapted to throw the same and unlock the bridge, sub'stantially as and for the pur ose described.

In testimony whereof I a x my signature lIl presence of two wltnesses.

GEORGE H. CI-IAVEY.

l/Vitnesses HENRY N. DEAVITT, NETTIE DEAVITT.

